Today is your first work day for the green building project. Consult your project guidelines! Your first task is to design the layout and dimenions of your buildings, paying particular attention to passive solar design that takes advantage of light and heat from the sun. Consider how landscaping around your building fits in with passive solar goals.
Links for Floor Plan Floorplanner.comsmallblueprinter.com if you are interested in completing the design digitally or feel free to use graph paper and a pencil.
Project Work Day #2 Heat Loss Calculation (R and U Values)
Today you will learn about R and U values that you will need to complete the calculation worksheet in Part II of the project. Recommended R-values: R value of Walls: up to 40 R value of Ceiling: up to 60 R value of Floor: at least 10 Look up R values for Windows and Doors using the links below Link to Degree Days under Degree Day Reading Furnace Efficiency AFUE: at least 96 (see Furnaces links below) If you are interested in taking the concept even further, complete the following steps for extracredit on the project:
1. Diagram a cross section of the following structural parts: Wall, Floor, Ceiling, and Foundation/Basement (if a heated living space), label component parts provide R-values for each part. (See R-value Wall Diagrams and the Buildling Science links below)
Note: If you are having trouble finding an R-value of a specific building material, try googling it. If you still cannot find it, ask me for help.
2. Calculate total R-value of the above structural parts by summing the R-value of the parts. Convert overall R-values to U-values (1/R) (You may want to use the online R-value calculator, see link below.)
3. Choose exterior door and window type and determine R-value and convert to U-value (1/R)
4. Calculate total area (in ft2) of exterior walls, exposed ceiling, exposed floor, exterior doors, and windows.
5. Transfer numbers (U values and area) to Step 1 of the Heat Loss Calculation Worksheet and complete calculations.
Degree Days Reading DegreeDays.net (Generate an excell file for a location in Madison Wisconsin, in degrees F for 36 months. Once you open the excell file, add up all of the HDD-heating degree days for each of the 36 months. Divide the total HDD by 3 to calculate the average HDD/yr) Furnaces Consumer Research Furnaces Energy Star-Furnaces
Project Work Day #1 April 12th 2013 DESIGN DAY
Today is your first work day for the green building project. Consult your project guidelines! Your first task is to design the layout and dimenions of your buildings, paying particular attention to passive solar design that takes advantage of light and heat from the sun. Consider how landscaping around your building fits in with passive solar goals.Links for Floor Plan Floorplanner.com smallblueprinter.com if you are interested in completing the design digitally or feel free to use graph paper and a pencil.
Helpful Websites about Green Building in General:
Energy Savers: Designing and Remodeling a Home
Tumbleweed Tiny Houses
17 Things You Can Do to Green a New Building
Common Fire: Green Building
Greenbuilding.com
Building Science (Go here if you need help understanding how different parts of a house are built. This site also provides different cross sections of various building types with respect to walls, foundations, and roofs with high R-values)
Project Work Day #2 Heat Loss Calculation (R and U Values)
Today you will learn about R and U values that you will need to complete the calculation worksheet in Part II of the project.Recommended R-values:
R value of Walls: up to 40
R value of Ceiling: up to 60
R value of Floor: at least 10
Look up R values for Windows and Doors using the links below
Link to Degree Days under Degree Day Reading
Furnace Efficiency AFUE: at least 96 (see Furnaces links below)
If you are interested in taking the concept even further, complete the following steps for extracredit on the project:
1. Diagram a cross section of the following structural parts: Wall, Floor, Ceiling, and Foundation/Basement (if a heated living space), label component parts provide R-values for each part. (See R-value Wall Diagrams and the Buildling Science links below)
Note: If you are having trouble finding an R-value of a specific building material, try googling it. If you still cannot find it, ask me for help.
2. Calculate total R-value of the above structural parts by summing the R-value of the parts. Convert overall R-values to U-values (1/R) (You may want to use the online R-value calculator, see link below.)
3. Choose exterior door and window type and determine R-value and convert to U-value (1/R)
4. Calculate total area (in ft2) of exterior walls, exposed ceiling, exposed floor, exterior doors, and windows.
5. Transfer numbers (U values and area) to Step 1 of the Heat Loss Calculation Worksheet and complete calculations.
Use the following links for help if you choose to calculate your own values for extra credit
R-value:
Reading: What is R-value?
R-value Calculator
Help on R-values
Examples of R-value wall diagrams
R-values of selected materials (Has listed R-values for various types of doors and windows)
More Material R-values
Building Science (Go here if you need help understanding how different parts of a house are built. This site also provides different cross sections of various building types with respect to walls, foundations, and roofs with high R-values)
Windows and Doors:
Energy Efficient Windows in Wisconsin
Energy Star Windows, Doors, and Skylights
Energy Savers: Exterior Doors
Degree Days
Reading DegreeDays.net (Generate an excell file for a location in Madison Wisconsin, in degrees F for 36 months. Once you open the excell file, add up all of the HDD-heating degree days for each of the 36 months. Divide the total HDD by 3 to calculate the average HDD/yr)
Furnaces
Consumer Research Furnaces
Energy Star-Furnaces
Additional Links about Specific Aspects of Green Building
Insulation:
Insulation:Choices and Strategies
My Energy Solutions: Insulation
Sustainable Sources- Insulation
Roofs:
Green Roofs
My Energy Solutions: Roofing
Sustainable Sources-roofing
Energy Efficient Building Network
Foundations:
Energy Efficient Building Network-Foundations
Sustainable Sources-Fly Ash
Framing:
Sustainable Sources-Straw Bale
Advanced Wall Framing Factsheet
Cob Houses
Cob Cottage Company
Sustainable Sources-Earth Materials
Floors:
Energy Efficient Building Network: Floors
LEED CERTIFICATION
LEED-NC Checklist